Our Children's Burden
by Pallidia Mors
Summary: Warned by four students channeling spirits, it's up to Hermione & Draco to unite the four houses and form a magical army in order to stave off the Darkness & avoid the terrible consequences of a world where Voldemort reigns supreme


**Disclaimer:  This is an amateur work of fiction based upon the wonderful characters of J.K.Rawling.  Anything your recognize most likely belongs to her and her business partners. I'm just giving the characters a bit of exercise and I promise to put them back when I'm done.  If anyone takes an exception to my use of the HP universe I invite them to take a number and my lawyer will be more than happy to call them back.**

**~* Our Children's Burden*~**

            "Aaahh" a soul shredding cry ripped through the 7th year girls' dormitory, waking most, if not all, of Gryffindor House.  Lavender Brown sat up in her bed shaking with a cold sweat and crying as if demons were after her.  Parvati jumped out of bed, wand aloft, to help her bunk mate.  She gripped Brown's sleeping gown and asked what was wrong, receiving no coherent answer.  The other 7th year girls gathered around the red and gold bed, trying to help their friend.  After a few minutes Parvati ran into the common room yelling for help.

"Seamus, Harry, Dean, Ron, Neville!  Anyone, help.  Someone get the Head Girl".  Parvati waited until she saw Ron and a groggy Harry.  "Quick Ron, fetch Hermione, there's trouble with Lavender".

This snapped the red head into attention and he sprinted off to find his friend and resident problem solver.  The other 7th years and most of the younger Gryffindors crowded into the common room and onto the stairs, curious.  "What's wrong Parvati?" Neville asked, worried.

"It's Lavender; she's caught in a Telling.  It sounds real and really bad".  She looked straight at Harry.

"Voldemort", he said and the girl nodded her head.  Ron came back, huffing and puffing, an anxious Hermione behind him.  The head Girl looked to Parvati and then her friend.  The look of their faces told her what she needed to know.  Trouble with a capital 'V'.

Hermione went into the girls' dorm, a crowd behind her stood in the doorway. One of the other girls sat back crying.  Natalie McDonald stroked her back, staring fearfully at Lavender.  "Beware the Lord of the Dark; unchecked his power will reign supreme. Beware the Lord of the Dark; unchecked his power will reign supreme. Beware…" Lavender was in a trance, the Telling set deeply.  Hermione had read about such anomalies and witness a few of Lavender's shorter Tellings before, though none this intense.

The Head Girl ushered the curious away from the bed and drew her wand.  Feeling a little silly, she was going to talk to the spirits that possessed Brown.  "We have witnessed the Telling.  Your message has been heard.  Leave your host in peace, with our thanks".  Lavender's head spun around to glare through Hermione and into Harry, it gave him chills.  Then the focus was back on the witch.  "Beware the Lord of the Dark; unchecked his power will reign supreme.  The Children of the Second Sight bring warning to all: Arm yourselves well with wisdom and steel.  Before the moon of blue is crossed by the ill omen, when the ground is blanketed white, your fortress will fall.  United they fall and Divided you die.  You are warned.  Then Lavender's body dropped back to the pillows.  Checking her pulse, Hermione found the girl to be sleeping deeply.  One of the younger years began to cry.  All eyes not on Harry were on Hermione, looking for guidance.  

Everyone back to their beds.  This doesn't leave Gryffindor House until I say so.  That means no discussion with the other three houses. Do you understand?"  Murmured assents, "Neville, you and Natalie take Lavender to the Infirmary, just in case. They nodded and the Scotts girl levitated her friend out the rapidly clearing door.  "I'm running to check on the other houses.  I'll get Draco to help".

In the pit of her stomach Hermione Granger knew Lavender wasn't the only one possessed tonight.  Harry, Ron and Dean herded all the other Gryffindors to their beds while Hermione slipped out of the portrait hole and ran straight into the Head Boy.  Draco was too upset to sneer properly.  "Just the mudblood I've been looking for.  Problem in Hufflepuff; that Abbott girl was having, is having, hysterics.  One of them said she was possessed by a dark wizard.  Bunch of rubbish if you ask me", but the Slytherin was clearly upset.  

"Did you get Sprout?" He shook his head no.  Most of the staff, she knew, was 'away on business'.  "Everyone is gone except Pomfrey, Filch, the half-giant and Trelawney.  Secret meeting of the Order of the Phoenix if you ask me".  Hermione nodded her agreement, walking quickly to get to Hanna.

"Bullfrogs", she gave the password to the worried looking portrait; it swung open.  The voices were getting louder as she and Draco hit the stairs.  "Beware the Lord of the Dark; unchecked his power will reign supreme".  Judging by Draco's non reaction he had heard this before and wasn't impressed, nor was he overjoyed.  He looked apprehensive.  Curious.  Again Hermione spoke to the spirit, this time in the Hufflepuff Teller.  "We have witnessed the Telling.  We have already been warned.  Leave this host in peace with our thanks". And again the spirits answered back, scaring a few of the more timid Hufflepuffs away.  

"Beware the Lord of the Dark; unchecked his power will reign supreme. Hear this: Children of the houses must plan in secret.  There are ones with two faces among the fold.  Find them but do them no harm or the day of Reckoning will end Darkly".

Formally, "We hear your message, spirit, and thank you for the warning".  Hanna Abbott slumped to the bed.  Draco's eyes met Hermione's, then he turned to the frightened Hufflepuff students.  

"Don't even think about saying a word", he hissed menacingly at a curious 3rd year.  "And that goes for the rest of you.  Back to bed and I don't want to hear anything about this at breakfast tomorrow morning, or I'll do more than take points".  At the same time Hermione asked Susan Bones and Justin Finch-Fletchley to take the girl to Madam Pomfrey, quietly.  As they were leaving the portrait hole, a Slytherin prefect came for Draco, out of breath.  

"Draco, come quick, Pansy's acting strange.  She's telling everyone the Dark Lord is going to win. Avery's already celebrating".  The boy looked nervous in front of Hermione.  The Slytherin nodded and they made a dash for the dungeons.  The same scene was being played out like the others.  This time Draco spoke to the spirit,  following Hermione's example, and addressed Pansy Parkinson. Millicent had tried shaking some sense into the girl to no avail.  

"Back to your rooms, all of you.  I don't think I need to tell you all to keep this in the House, do I?"  Some smirks, some nervous looks, but no one disagreed with Draco.  He knew already who not to trust among the snake den.  He sent the other girls out as well before talking to the spirit.            

"We've got the message already; Voldemort's coming after us and it's going to be messy, now get out of her body.  Um, leave in peace with our thanks".  The last was added after a painful jab to the ribs to remind him to be polite.

"That is not all. Beware the Lord of the Dark; unchecked his power will reign supreme. The Children of Second Sight will give warning the day of the last stand.  Act immediately or the sons of Darkness will take the king of white and eternal darkness will begin.  The knight of white must finish the game.  Heed our warning".

"We witness this Telling and have heard the warning.  Leave in peace with our thanks".  Hermione gestured to the Head Boy to get some helpers.  Millicent picked up Pansy and threw her over a large shoulder, heading towards the infirmary.   "I bet the Ravenclaws are searching for us". "I don't bet on a sure thing, Granger". 

"Let's go." He made some gesture, a warning for silence, and then the pair left. In the corridors near Ravenclaw, students were milling about. A first year spotted Draco's blonde hair in the torchlight. "Thank Merlin. No one is here and we couldn't find either of you." A prefect ordered everyone back in and took over the explanations.

"Lisa Turpin is having a premonition of sorts. I think it's real this time. We can't get here out of it with magic. We thought you would know…?" It must have galled Mandy Brocklehurst to admit not knowing something. The pit in her stomach grew deeper. The same warning.

"We hear the Telling. What more can the spirits explain?"

"Beware the Lord of the Dark; unchecked he will reign supreme. Darkness may be used to battle the night, but only the dawn dispels the shadows. Knowledge is precious ammunition. Beware of how it is divided, how it is used. Do not repeat history's mistakes. Await the call of the children of second sight. We can do no more to help you."  Before Hermione or Draco could ritually thank the benevolent spirit, the Telling ended and Lisa was asleep again.

"Mandy, I need you to keep this under wraps for now. The network has to be silent until we have time to talk. Truthfully each house has had a Telling about You-Know-Who tonight. I'll get the Prefects together tomorrow to work something out, but it has to be a secret for now." The Ravenclaw nodded to the Head Girl. 

"Have Lisa brought to Pomfrey," Draco said, singling out Terry Boot and Stewart Ackerly to do the job. He gave them all an intimidating snarl to keep their gobs shut before dragging Hermione up to their common room to talk. He wanted to know what in Merlin's name was going on and how she knew what a Telling was and how to get rid of the spirits, demons, or ghosts in the seventh year girls. Knowing it would be a long night, he summoned a pot of tea and some tea biscuits. Draco knew Hermione, like himself, thought better on a full stomach.

*

"So, we're decided then? We keep this warning a secret from the staff."

"This is all well and good, but what if those were malicious spirits, or if something goes wrong?" Draco, voice of reason.

"We can ask the Tellers what they felt. I know Lavender can 'feel' spirit allegiances. But I suppose we should give Professor Dumbledore a clue, but not the whole picture. Acceptable?"

"I suppose so. I wouldn't want it getting back to my father that I was siding with Muggle lovers and Mudbloods."

Sigh. "Whatever Draco, but that brings us to the question of determining whose loyal to whom. The spirits warned everyone was needed, not just a selected few, but…" She shrugged her shoulders in a perplexed gesture.

"Leave it to me." Draco grimaced, thinking of what he would need to do. "I'll find the traitors and you cast the memory charms. Got it?"

"Do I want to know how'll you'll find out?"

"Veritaserum."

"I'll get the cauldron," Hermione offered, knowing what a pain brewing that much truth serum would be.

"I can manage. Just think of a way we can dose every one and then charm the rotten ones. Get Potty's map and find a nice secret chamber or something."

"Fine. I'll talk to the prefects, they'll be the first to be dosed, then they'll help us with the others. We can assign watchers for the baby death eaters then." They nodded and set off to do their work; Dawn was fast approaching, and this was war.

*

"Harry, Ron, I need your help with something." Hermione waltzed into the boy's dorms at 6 in the morning. Ron was already awake and looking worse for the wear, but Harry was sleeping blissfully. Evidently being faced with the end of the world at Voldemort's claws was old hat to him. Gryffindor bravery or stupidity, she wasn't sure.

Ron shook his mate awake. "Get up Harry, 'Mione needs us." Harry grumbled and reached for his glasses. Bleary eyed, he scowled at the two. 

"How come she's so chipper this early in the morning?" Harry groused.

"Because I'm a girl." Harry was about to accept that as fact, after all, she knew everything and he didn't know any other girls well enough to compare.

"Very funny Herm. What's your trick?" Ron had a mother, a sister, and plenty of aunts and female cousins to know girls need their beauty sleep or they wake up trolls. Smiling, she handed the boys a vial of pepper up potion and a breath mint.

"Now let's go. We need Harry's cloak and map. Draco's almost ready too talk to the prefects and I need a room to work. Think a secret tactical HQ." Harry nodded, digging for his invisibility cloak while Ron found the map.

"Come and find me when you're done, and if you have a moment do a few cleaning spells. Be back for breakfast at 9." Saturdays had a later meal schedule and most denizens of Hogwarts should still be asleep, though with all the commotion the head girl couldn't say.

A quick visit to the House Prefects assured Hermione that the students would stay in their house until breakfast, then come straight back. A Ravenclaw had the notion to make it rain all day, an excuse to keep indoors; an idea Hermione applauded. Perhaps they could actually pull this off, whatever 'this' was.

After a trip to each House, Hermione went to check on the four girls, hoping to think up a plausible story to tell Madam Pomfrey. She needn't have worried; the students that brought the girls in told her the same thing: nightmares and sleepwalking. Strange, but not enough to alert the nurse's B.S. radar. Doing her concerned Head Girl act on the mediwitch, Hermione was allowed a private chat with the girls.

She spoke with Lavender first, though the others listened. "Lavender, are you feeling any better?" The girl nodded. "What happened?" her eyes started to mist and the Gryffindor's voice trembled.

"Oh Hermione, it's awful. You heard the warning, I could feel you, but oh…"

Lisa picked up, equally teary eyed. "We could feel them, the spirits, they're powerful and scared. They feel like they were once…"

"Human. Witches and Wizards. Children of Second Sight," Hanna continued. They spoke like a hive mind. "They are worried about what will happen if You-Know-Who wins. If he kills Professor Dumbledore and…"

"Harry Potter," Pansy finished. "The futures they showed us were so horrible. People killed on the street, starving creatures, burning buildings, black skies."

"It cannot come to pass," The Tellers spoke in tandem. 

"But the Spirits told us what must come to pass. No one must know that the Hogwarts students…"

"Are truly an Army," Lisa finished for Hanna.

"Find the faithful, set up a base, begin their training…"

"Each house must work together. Every person brings something to the table," Pansy intoned.

"Prepare lessons, schedules, and stock arms and supplies. We have until after Christmas – January or February but no later," Lavender prophesized. "We will consult the star charts, find comet patterns and compare with the next blue moon."

Hermione was grateful for the warning, but speaking to the Tellers was disconcerting. Like carrying on one conversation with four different mouths and one mind. She wished them well and ran off to find Harry and Ron or Draco. Who found her was Professor McGonagall.

"You're up early, Ms. Granger," she stated as way of greeting.

"Yes, Professor. I was just checking on a few of the students in Madam Pomfrey's care. Bad case of nightmare. Probably too much dark chocolate before bed," Hermione lied through her teeth. Apparently her head of house bought it, because she nodded and walked away. The Head Girl nearly sagged in relief, only to be startled by an invisible hand grabbing her shoulder.

"Damn it Ron, don't sneak up on a witch like that. I could have hexed your head from your shoulders." She clutched her wildly beating heart as the cloak fell away to reveal the other two of the golden trio.

"We found a great place "Mione. Plenty of room, no windows and four points of access through hidden paths."

"Where is it?"

"It's an old classroom underneath the dungeons. From the looks of it nobody's been there in a century. One tunnel even leads outside past the Quidditch pitch and near the forest." Harry always got excited about secrets, adventures and Quidditch. Typical male.

"Did you clean it up any, yet?"

"Um…yes?" Ron ventured. Hermione mock glared. "No?"

"That's what I thought. Doesn't matter now. Give me the map and go back to Gryffindor. If we're not back, go to breakfast without me, but keep a lid on the gossip or the Apocalypse may be just after New Years." Sobered, Harry gave over the map and took off for the commons with Ron in tow.

Map in hand, Hermione went to the dungeons to find Draco. She found him, arms full of glass vials. Taking off her hat, she motioned for the Head Boy to put some in her cap so he didn't drop any. He nodded thanks. "Potty and Weasel find us a room yet?"

"Beneath the dungeons; you'll feel right at home. This way, it's a short cut." They turned a corner, walked behind a tapestry, down a tunnel, out through a suit of armor and three doors to the left. Inside the room was another hidden door beneath a rug on the floor. Down the slide and out a portrait led them to an auditorium sized classroom, dusty desks and stools still in place. No windows and portraits for doors. It was perfect.

"I don't think even Mrs. Norris will find us here. Hell, Voldemort probably couldn't find it."

"Ugh. The spiders and dust bunnies did though." Hermione turned up her nose at the filth. A few muttered cleaning spells, some lit torches and a zephyr charm to circulate the air. "It just needs a fireplace, a few rugs, and it's home."

Meanwhile, Draco had been lining up his vials of Veritaserum on a shelf and began to put up some temporary privacy charms. They could have to spend all night building permanent wards – anti-apparition, silencing, will o wisps charms and other protective wards. He'd have to ask Hermione if she knew any other ones, but Draco would add a few gray hexes to the mix for variety, stability, and to frustrate attackers. Besides Hermione and himself, Draco figured they would need a dozen other students to have enough power behind their wards. After he dosed the prefects and seventh years, they could begin the research. He's heard a Ravenclaw made it pour outside. She'd be a useful one to help.

"We're done for now. Let's get to the Great Hall and then start with the prefects and seventh year Slytherins and Hufflepuffs." Granger agreed. She opened a door behind a painting of a couple kissing and they came out of their shower wall. Draco raised an eyebrow but said nothing. They each had their minds too occupied to banter over portal pictures to secret passages. Draco made a mental note to give Prefects copies of the four routes before the week was over.

*

"So Blaise, kill any Muggles lately?" Draco smiled when he said it.

"What are you on, Draco? You know my parents don't go for that kind of thing."

"Accost any Mudbloods, Squibs, or defenseless old witches?"

"Malfoy," Blaise Zambini swore, but answered, "No. I am not a servant of the Dark Lord. I am not a death eater, nor do I plan on getting the Dark Mark in the near future. Good enough or should I start an animal shelter for stray cats and toads?"

"That's excellent, Blaise, thank you friend," Draco patted the Slytherin's ruffled pride. "That was the last prefect, now for the younger years. Blaise, get together your first and second years. Mandy, the same goes for Hufflepuff. Potter and Weasley can watch your portrait doors to make sure no owls get out." The two nodded and left through the ceiling portrait, climbing up stairs to the corridors nearest Hufflepuff.

"So far so good," Hermione ventured.

"Wait," came the serious reply.

In the end the Head Boy and Girl worked out a system. They dosed the other students with Veritaserum and had them read off a page. If they couldn't manage it then they were grilled. Most were guilty that couldn't read, but one lad from the Netherlands didn't read English very well.

"I am not a follower of Voldemort. I am not a Death Eater or a Death eater spy. I am loyal to the light and to Hogwarts, and will stake my life this is true."

"Very good McDougal. You passed with flying colors." Draco smirked, "but before you go, tell me Morag, are you still a virgin?" The younger boy turned beet red. "Y-yes," he stammered, running off to his friends.

"Draco! Don't abuse the truth potion," Hermione chided half-heartedly. The day was wearing on and she needed another dose of pepper up, and maybe a whole roast turkey and 3 loaves of bread. She was starving.

Only a few more students to go. So far there had been five students that were death eaters in training and two more that were just untrustworthy. Despite what one would think, they were not Crabbe and Goyle, Millicent or any other seventh year Slytherin. The traitors were the younger years in all the houses. three second and third years in Slytherin, two fourth year Ravenclaws, one sixth year Ravenclaw and a first year Gryffindor. From those students they found out that not all house elves were loyal and one of their familiars was an animagus spy for her father.

"You do realize that we have to put up charms to keep both house elves and animals out now as well?" Draco was exhausted as well. He took a sip of his own pick me up potion from a flask. "Fire whiskey and pepper up with a dollop of honey," he told the Gryffindor girl. "It'll curl your eyelids if you drink too much." Hermione took the silver flash from his hand, swallowed twice and nodded, handing him back his drink. 

"I think I'll ask the Ravenclaws to look up some spells. The Hufflepuffs and Slytherins are in the library pretending to study, but a few are looking up some useful charms. I think Gryffindor is running about the hall with assorted other students, trying to keep teachers from getting suspicions. Besides, Harry and Ron are useless in the library and needed to keep an eye out for the ones we put memory charms on."

"Next please, and hurry it up," Draco snapped at a young 3rd year Slytherin. At least he said please.  
                                                                                                                         *

The students were dismissed as soon as their truth serum wore off. Wouldn't do for a 5th year to run into a teacher only to blurt out the illegal use of Veritaserum and raising of an army several floors below their feet. It also kept the hallways and Great Hall filled.

It was dinner by the time Draco and Hermione were done with the testing. The Draco's Special Blend was eating through stomach lining and it was time to show their faces for dinner. There were no announcements, so the pair inhaled the food as soon as it was set before them. They forced themselves to slow when even Hagrid gave them strange looks. After the meal Ron and Millicent drug the Head Boy and Girl up to their portrait, dumping them outside. The two had collapsed on the way up the stairs. 'Note to self,' Draco thought, 'Take potion sparingly and with food.' One of them managed to say the password, because the door swung open and they literally crawled in.

The other prefects were assigned a few hobs, but tomorrow they would convene with the Four Tellers, the Head Boy and Girl and assorted students for a Council powwow. The Slytherin made it as far as the chair before falling asleep in it, the Gryffindor made it to the couch. Thoughts of death, chaos, double lives, spies, house elves and ghouls filled their minds, so not even their sleep was restful. They had authority, they had knowledge or the means to get it, they were responsible for the lives of all the students, all the wizarding and muggle people. The world was depending on the strength of character of two students – Merlin help them, but they were the best and only choices.

*


End file.
